Sport fishing is a tremendously popular pastime for many people. The development of new fishing lures, in particular, is a major area of interest to both the sport fishing industry and the angling public. The increase in popularity of catch and release fishing, in which fish are not kept for consumption, and instead are released in order to minimize impact on the quality of a fishery, has accelerated the need for innovation. Artificial lures are typically mandated in waters that are increasingly set aside for catch and release by regulatory agencies or private landowners. It has been widely observed that fish that are repeatedly caught and released, or even exposed to similar artificial lures, tend to develop an aversion to these lures. Additionally, these fish gravitate to areas with less accessibility to anglers. Rocks, overhanging trees, weeds, and other obstructions provide ideal cover and habitat for game fish, but pose difficulties for anglers engaged in their pursuit.
It is also important to consider the motivation for a game fish to target their typical forage staples. Conservation of energy certainly plays a major role in such targeting. Healthy potential prey, such as minnows, crayfish, and the like, often remain ignored in favor of the wounded or weakened. Game fish rely heavily on visual cues, particularly erratic or non-linear movement, in order to distinguish between an easy meal and an effort requiring additional expenditure of energy.
Accordingly, there is a need for a maneuverable fishing lure that can be maneuvered easily and predictably, steered under or around obstacles, and manipulated in a manner consistent with the mannerisms associated with the preferred prey of game fish. Such a lure would be capable of significant controllability, enabling an angler to fish in desired areas of water and avoid non-desired areas.
Currently known prior art includes a lure with an automatically operable vane that causes the lure to move in an irregular zigzag pattern during retrieval. Another example of prior art is a lure with a u-shaped fitting releasably held at two positions by magnetic force. Another known lure is a lure with a rudder type vane operated by water jet means, imparting an irregular side-darting, zigzag movement. Each of these lures lacks the feature of being controllable by the user, and the direction in which the lures travel is subject to substantially random influence.
Other examples of prior art describe a lure with a rudder mechanism held at various configurations by means of a series of fixed bias points and a lure with two line attachments, selectable by the user. Angularly truncated ends cause the lure to move to the left or right in a consistently curved path. These lures provide the user with a measure of steering ability; however, this steering feature is static and not changeable during retrieval of the lures. Yet another prior art lure describes a complex assembly of components that responds to jerks on the fishing line, enabling the user to vary the direction of travel of the lure. This lure, as it is dependant on such jerks for control, is not ideally suited for situations where a subtle presentation of the lure is preferable. There are environments and situations in which fish are wary of any sudden movement or disturbance. Additionally, this lure relies on a fairly complex mechanical assembly, increasing manufacturing costs and susceptibility to component failure, especially in an aquatic environment.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for improved techniques for providing a maneuverable fishing lure that is highly controllable by an angler, attractive to game fish, simple in construction, reliable in operation, and inexpensive to manufacture.
Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.